Psyche
by MissMagneto
Summary: The British government is housing a mutant that they are training as a weapon. When Charles and Erik find out they try to get her on their side in the fight against Shaw. Sort of follows First Class. Charles/OC/Erik
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first story so I would very much appriciate constructive criticism :)_

Charles and Erik stood awkwardly in the marble floored entrance room of the MI5 building in England. The walls were mostly bare save for a few paintings of countryside landscapes. Thin rivulets of water slid down the large glass windows. The sky was a soggy shade of grey. The chill from outside seemed to be multiplied indoors; both Erik and Charles had declined when asked if they wanted their jackets hung in the closet. Erik stood stiffly, his hands crammed deep into the pockets of his black slacks. Charles was a little more at ease, but by no means relaxed.

The British government had a mutant.

The CIA had certainly been surprised when they found out. So had Charles, but Erik had not been. Charles remembered the look, almost as if Erik's eyes were saying 'I told you so.' Charles thought it best to talk to the mutant; it seemed likely that the mutant would be able to help them in some capacity with Shaw. Especially after they lost Angel and Darwin. After the CIA had multiple talks on the telephone with the head of MI5 Charles and Erik were sent over to check out the "Mutant situation with those damn Limeys."

So there they stood, in the MI5 building waiting to meet the agent who would bring them down to the mutant. A large man opened a door at the end of the hall and began to walk towards them. His strides were long and his eyes were fixed on the two young men. He stopped right in front of them and said "Follow me," rather gruffly. The two mutants exchanged looks and followed the agent down the hall and through the door. They entered a small lift and the agent opened a small hatch right below the numbers. He pressed a series of buttons, shut the hatch, and the lift began to grind downwards. When the doors opened they were in a shiny metal hallway. The agent continued forward and Erik and Charles followed suit. He opened a door at the end of the hall and they were led into a small room that looked remarkably like an interrogation room at a police station. There was a glass window at the far side of the room, they could see into another room, a sort of gym area.

"That's a one way mirror," the agent said, pointing to the glass window. "You can see in there but anyone in the training room can't see you. I'm going to leave you here. I'll be back soon." The agent closed the door, leaving them alone.

Erik moved towards the glass window. There was a girl on the other side. She wore tight black shorts that stopped at her knees and a light blue shirt. She was on the floor, her legs stretched in front of her and her head down at her knees. Her bright orange hair was pulled into a tight bun at the top of her head.

"She doesn't look like much." Erik said harshly. "She's still a teenager for god sake."

Charles shook his head. "You're underestimating her Erik. I can feel her in here," he tapped his temple once. "She's powerful, I can tell you that much. I can't get much else though." Charles's forehead crinkled with concentration. "Her mind is blocked; it's as if she has a wall in her head." The girl looked up and straight at Erik. It was as if their eyes connected for a moment, but he knew that was impossible. She couldn't know they were there, the guard had said as much. And then she looked back down and Erik felt himself relax.

The door opened up again and a different man stepped through. This one had a definitive security look to him. He was at least five inches taller than Erik and he was build like a wall, wide and thick. "Come with me." Both men took a step towards him but he pointed to Erik. "Only you, the telepath waits in the lobby."

The two mutants shared an uneasy look. _Go _Erik heard Charles's voice in his head. _If anything happens just call for me with your mind, I'll keep an ear out for you. _Erik nodded in understanding and followed the guard through the open door.

The man led him down another hallway and Erik memorized the turns they took. Left, right, right, left. He kept track of the paintings on the walls so he would have recognizable landmarks f anything went wrong. The guard opened a door and held it open for Erik.

Erik took a tentative step into the room and the guard closed the door behind him. It was decorated in various shades of light yellow with a series of flower patterns that jumped from the wallpaper to the curtains to the tablecloth. There was a small square table in the center of the room. On it was two cups, a tea pot and various biscuits. He was pleased to feel that the serving tray and all of the light fixtures were metal. Perched on the window bench was the girl from training room. She had changed and showered. Her orange hair was wet and hung in limp curls around her pale, heart-shaped face. She wore a light blue dress that was tight at the top but flared at the hips. Erik couldn't help but notice her rather ample bosom.

"Have a seat," She said. She motioned to the table and Erik sat down in one of the high backed wooden chairs. Her accent, he noticed, suggested she hailed out of Oxford. Not that he was an expert on that sort of thing, Charles was better at guessing where people were from. She walked towards him and picked up the tea pot, poured some into his cup and sat down. She took a moment to smooth her dress and then she looked up at Erik. "Biscuits?"

"No. I'm here to discuss-"

"I know what you are here to discuss." She said as she dropped a cube of sugar into her cup. "You are going to sit and have afternoon tea with me. Alright?"

"Look-" And then he couldn't say another word. His mouth was stuck in place. The mutant girl was looking directly at him; her eyes were a toxic shade of green and glowing. Erik tried to access his powers but that part of his brain was blocked. He felt color rise in his cheeks as anger diffused through his capillaries.

"You are going to play nice for a little while so we can drink tea. Are we clear?" He felt his head move up and down in a nod but he was absolutely sure he was not controlling his body. "Excellent." She said loudly. And whatever hold she had on him was released. Erik gulped for breath, as if he had just broken the surface of the water. The girl was calmly stirring another cube of sugar into her tea.

"What did you do to me?" He asked angrily.

She glanced up from the brown liquid and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't exactly do your research before you came here, did you? I'm a telepath. I simply took control of the motor functions in your brain. Simple really." Erik glared at her. The light fixtures and the serving tray with the biscuits began to vibrate violently. He wanted to show this girl what he was capable of; he wanted very much to frighten her. "No use showing off," She said calmly, as if the light fixtures shook seemingly of their own accord every day. "I know exactly what you can do Mr. Lehnsherr. No need to show off." The shaking stopped and Erik scowled. "Are you quite done?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied in a clipped tone.

"Excellent. Now, Mr. Lehnsherr, I expect you have questions."

"How can you do that?"

She put her cup down, the china tinkled against the wood of the table. "Control. I am not more powerful than your telepathic friend; I simply have been honing my control for years. I can control anything with a mind." Erik was not sure if he was excited about her power, she could certainly help them a great deal if she joined them against Shaw, or if he was terrified. She chuckled, "You have nothing to be afraid of Mr. Lehnsherr."

"Stay out of my head." He said roughly.

"Alright. Drink your tea before it gets cold. It's not poisoned or anything. If I wanted to hurt you I would have done it already."

Erik scowled again and picked up his teacup. He took a quick sip of the liquid and found it pleasantly warm and spicy. When he looked back at the girl across the table her eyebrow was raised and her lips were curled upwards in a smile. He waited for a moment before he took another sip, waiting to see if there was going to be some sort of mal effect. When there wasn't he took another sip.

"Who are you?"

She leaned forward and put her elbows on the table, her fingers made a steeple in front of her face. "Well, in all technicality I do not exist. There is no record of by birth, no record of my employment with the government. I am a ghost, Mr. Lehnsherr. I am a ghost."


	2. Chapter 2

_I want to say thank you to all of you who reviewed, favorited or alerted this story. You have seriously made me more happy than words can express. So here is chapter 2 three days earlier than planned:]_

Chapter 2

"We're going back tomorrow." Erik said to Charles as they walked down the cobblestone street to their hotel. "She wants to see us together." Charles adjusted his umbrella in his hand and looked sideways at his friend.

"And you think you can convince her to come with us?" Charles had picked the memory of the encounter with the British mutant out of Erik's head, after Erik had insisted on it of course. He doubted Charles would have believed him if he hadn't seen it for himself.

"No, I don't." Erik walked straight through a puddle, his eyes focused somewhere on the horizon. "But you can."

Later that evening Charles sat at the hotel bar, nursing a whiskey. His thoughts strayed to the humans around him. He let his mental shields down and felt the influx of others thoughts in his mind.

_I think I've had one too many._

_I hope don't look fat in this dress._

_Maybe he'll come over and get me a drink._

_I wonder how the children are; it's probably too late to phone them. I'll ring them in the morning._

He sighed and drained his glass. He wondered about Raven and how she was doing at the moment. He thought about calling her but decided against it. It was becoming increasingly hard to make himself not read her mind, it was if she was folding in on herself. Charles didn't like it at all. She was usually so open with him, so willing to share her thoughts and feelings. It was part of what he loved about her, they had a connection on such a level that he did not have to resort to using his telepathy. Erik, on the other hand, was an enigma. He shielded himself off from everyone, he was sure it had been a very long time since Erik had cared about anybody.

Charles was curious about the mutant girl as well. He wanted to know why she was with the government, for how long she had been with them. He would bet a very long time. _I am a ghost. _Oh, most certainly a very long time. She looked young too, maybe 18 or 19. He wondered where her parents were, if they knew where she was. He wondered what sort of parents would give their child to the government. He amended his thoughts quickly, how would a normal human family feel if they had a child who could read minds. He had been lucky; he had learned to control his powers at an early age, but what if she couldn't. What if her parents were always frightened around her, always careful of what they were thinking. If they thought she was dangerous it would have made sense to hand her over to the government.

Charles put a few bills down on the table and walked away from the bar. He rubbed his eyes and headed in the direction of the staircase. He walked the few flights up to his room. The light was on under Erik's door but when Charles reached out with his mind to see what Erik was doing he found the room empty. He sighed and put the key into the lock. Erik sat in a chair at the far end of his room, a chess set sat on the room's only small table.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Erik asked, not expecting an answer. Charles sat down across from his friend and made the first move.

He was bleary eyed and agitated as he made his way down the street back to the government building. The hotel tea was water and overly sweet. The eggs runny and like cement in his stomach. He glared at the guard as they entered the lift and glared at the silver walls of the elevator during the entire descent. He pasted on a smile when he was escorted to a heavy wooden door, the door he knew Erik had walked through the day before.

In the parlor the girl stood completely still. Her posture was rigid and her eyes bore into his. He crossed the room in a few strides and stuck his hand out, "Charles Xavier. Delighted to make your acquaintance." He pumped her hand up and down vigorously and grinned. He felt the edges of her mind probe his, as if she was trying to get a feel of what he was like. Her mind was nervous, tentative, as he let her into his own. He let her see that he had no mal intentions towards her, he was simply curious.

"Rae." She said, and offered no more.

"So you're a telepath." He sat down in the same seat that Erik had the day before and poured himself a cup of tea. He helped himself to a lovely looking cream filled cookie.

"Yes," she said slowly. She stayed standing up. Charles wondered where the confident girl he had seen Erik interact with yesterday was.

"Fascinating, I must admit I have never met another telepath before. Do you mind if I…" He gesture to her head. She shook her head. He smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile and gently touched her mind. She let him riffle through certain memories, schooling at Oxford, her work on psychology, a few of her missions for the government. But there was a large wall that Charles encountered, a wall that he did not try to break through. He wanted her trust and respect.

"Your work on the mind is quite interesting," he said finally, when he removed himself from her mind.

She shrugged. "I suppose it is fitting for a telepath to be interested in the working of the mind."

Charles shook his head, "I was never interested in the way it worked, I could see into it. I was more interested in the genetics of mutations."

"That is a narrow view on mutants Mr. Xavier." She seated herself across from him and crossed her legs demurely. "Part of our power comes from the mind. Without the mental ability to access our mutations or control them we are nothing but animals with special abilities. One can create a sort of gateway system in their own mind so they can use their powers properly."

Charles was excited; she was perfect for what they were trying to do. "I'd like to invite you to come back to the States with us Miss Rae. Mr. Lehnsherr and I are working on a sort of project with other mutants. We want to train them to be in full control of what they can do."

"You do not need me." She said.

"Yes we do," Charles said vehemently. "I understand mutation on a cellular level. I know the genetics of it but I know nothing of the brain. That is clearly your area. You can help us train our mutants to master their powers mentally. Help them understand the brain functions that allow them to do such amazing things." He paused for a moment, as if contemplating his words. "And I think you and I have a lot to learn about each other. I've never talked to another telepath about our abilities before. I'd like to see how we differ, how we are the same. I think we can help you just as much as you can help us."

She looked down into her teacup and took a deep breath. "I'm not sure." She whispered. "I've really never been away from the MI5 for long. Besides school and missions. I belong here Mr. Xavier."

"Please," his voice was desperate. "Please come with us."

She was quiet for another moment, Charles's heart raced. "The MI5 will require weekly reports on our progress. They don't want Shaw helping the Soviets out in any way. Mutually assured destruction does not appeal to the government."

Charles grinned and extended his hand. Rae took it and smiled. "Welcome to the team Rae." He said excitedly.

The plane ride to Westchester was silent. It was clear that Erik and Rae were very uncomfortable with each other. Neither spoke a single word. Charles, however, spent the majority of the ride in Rae's head. They talked about their research, allowing each other to see what they discovered.

Her research was based in the control of the mind. She had studied the idea of mind over matter for mutants and their powers. How much control was a factor in the extent of what they could do. How the mentality that mutation was abnormal hurt their ability to utilize their power. Charles described his research with all the wordy quintessence of a molecular biologist. Rae was want to understand half of his explanation. He described the allelic basis of the mutation, the exact string of DNA that was code for certain mutations and how his DNA differed from a normal person's DNA. He wanted to work on extracting the DNA of other mutants to see where exactly in the genome the mutations started. He wanted to know how different the mutations were for each individual.

"The technology," he thought with what could only be described as a mental sigh. "Is not available yet, but I'd bet anything that in a few years we'll map out the entire human genome. Watson and Crick were only the beginning, darling."

Rae smiled in his direction. He was certainly excited about his work. The grin he was sporting was nothing less than megawatt. He was passionate about what he was doing, that much was for sure. He grinned back and pulled a book from his carry-on bag, leaving Rae to look around the private plane. Her eyes fell on Erik. He was curled in the window seat on the other side of the plane. He was huddled against the side of the machine, the left side of his body pressed completely against the metal. He nursed a large glass of whiskey which he occasionally took a sip from. She had to admit, he was a handsome man. All angles and hard line completely opposite to the curvature of her own body. His eyes met hers and she held his gaze for a moment before he looked away. For a moment she thought about taking a peak into his mind, but thought better of it. She finished her inspection of the plane, curled up in her seat and promptly fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The mansion was settled on a hill about twenty minutes from the nearest town. There was a graveled, twisting road that led to the garage. Charles owned a Rolls Royce, "It was my fathers," he said when Rae's eyes ran over the car. She couldn't decide if the lavish insides were more impressive than the acres of land that surrounded the brick palace. Charles promised to take her on a tour of the grounds once she had settled in. He showed her to her room, all of the mutants at the mansion shared a hallway, just in case someone needed something, but everyone was free to choose a different room.

Her room had a large wrought iron bed and mahogany furniture. The bathroom was opulent, tiled in marble with a bathtub big enough to comfortably fit four. She was amazed that anyone could live in such wealth. "Old money," he said. "We've been rich for god knows how long." He shrugged it off, but not in a way that suggested he was uncomfortable with his affluence.

Erik had disappeared the moment they entered the house. Like some sort of specter he seemed to sink into the walls. She was glad he was gone; there was something in his eyes that made her very uncomfortable. Charles left her alone in her new room to settle in and to assemble the other mutants in the library. She was absolutely terrified. Charles and Erik were the only other mutants she had ever met. She sat tentatively on the bed, as if trying not to wrinkle the sheets. She crossed her legs, closed her eyes and let the tendrils of her mind spread out.

There was a girl across the hall from her. Raven. She could shape shift. She was looking at herself critically in the mirror and then her blonde hair changed to a dark brown. Insecurity was bitter on Rae's tongue and she wondered why, the girl was beautiful. She shifted again and her hair was blonde once more. Rae pulled herself out of the girls mind.

In the room to the right of Raven was a boy, his mind was tangled and sharp, as if there was too much going on. His thoughts smelled sharply of ozone. Alex. She retreated quickly when she realized he was thinking about a naked woman.

Next to Alex was Sean. His mind was much calmer, almost like waves. He was shaving and nicked himself when he felt her enter his mind. He hissed and dabbed the spot with a towel before tossing the razor into the sink.

There was one more mind to explore. In the bedroom next to her. She focused her energy and her mind touched another's. This mind was rough at the edges, as if barriers had been attempted at the fringes of consciousness. She slid past them easily and found herself in a soft, well-lit space. This mind was organized impeccably. It was almost as if the mind was an office, a file for childhood, a file for parents. But as she continued her search it became less organized. As she reached the frontal lobes there was chaos. She brushed a memory and opened it. A concentration camp. A woman being pulled away. Metal gates opening by themselves.

Erik.

And then he knew someone was in his mind. She removed herself quickly, but not before getting a warm taste of anger. She pulled her legs into her chest and held her head between her hands. Her mind stung, almost as if she had a migraine. His anger had physically hurt her. That had never happened to her before. It still stung at the front of her mind.

"Rae?" She jumped, expecting to see someone in the room. "In your head." Charles's voice sounded in her skull and she relaxed. "Come down to the library please. I'll lead you there." She nodded before realizing that Charles certainly couldn't see her doing such a thing. She thought an affirmative response and padded quietly to the door. She listened for a moment before gently pushing the heavy wood open and entering the hallway. Charles put directions into her mind and she scampered through the halls.

The library was on the first floor of the mansion and put a great number of university libraries to shame. Charles was the owner of quite a number of books, many of them first editions. The tomes lined the shelves in alphabetical order and genre order. There was a large fireplace and two comfy looking wing backed chairs that sat near the hearth. A few extra chairs had been added to the mix, they were out of place with the rich décor. All of the chairs had occupants except two of them. When Rae entered the library Charles called out to her and motioned to the seat next to the pretty blonde whose head Rae had examined.

The blonde smiled as Rae sat down. She stuck out her hand, "I'm Raven. I'm so happy you're here, we need more girls around here." She said enthusiastically. Rae took her hand and gave it a quick shake. She felt the edges of Raven's consciousness. She wasn't as happy to have Rae there as she let on; there was a slight bitterness to her mind.

"It's lovely to meet you." Rae smiled politely and sat down. She smoothed her skirt and let her hands rest on her lap.

"That' Alex," Charles pointed to a blonde boy with storm gray eyes. Rae waved lightly, a smile still firmly in place. "Hank," the guy with glasses pushed himself up from his chair and went to shake her hand vigorously.

"And that is Sean." Charles pointed to the boy with a curly mop of red hair.

"Hey," Sean grinned good naturedly. Rae felt his mind, it was warm and welcoming, he was pleased to have her on the team.

"We are just waiting for Erik and then we'll call this meeting to order."

"No need to wait Charles, I'm here." Erik's strides were long as he marched from the door to the last empty seat. He flung himself into the wing backed chair with a grace that seemed almost unnatural. His brown hair was tousled and damp, as if he had just taken a shower.

"Excellent!" Charles clapped his hands together and began. "So, you're all here for training, which would imply that I know what I'm doing but I really don't. I am as new to this as you are." It was hard not to like Charles, Rae thought, he had a roguish charm that made her want to trust him. His mind was like hot chocolate on a winter day. "That's why we brought Rae in. She has been working with the British government for a number of years now," Ra appreciated his vagueness. "and is going to help us out when it comes to harnessing our power. We'll start training bright and early tomorrow morning." Charles began to discuss the training routine that he wanted to implement and Rae stopped listening. She looked around the room, examining the faces of the mutants around her. She had never been around so many mutants before and she found herself fascinated by the way their minds were wired.

Her eyes caught Erik's deep orbs and she blanched but did not look away. She could feel his anger licking at the edges of her mind. "And I think that's it." Rae was startled by the sound of Charles clapping his hands together. "You are all free to spend the rest of your day however you'd like to." The group all stood up and everyone but Charles and Rae left the library. "If you'd like I could give you a tour now." Charles offered.

"Thank you for the offer but I'm feeling terribly jet lagged. I think I'll take a nap."

Charles shrugged, "Alright then, tomorrow." He began to walk to the door of the library. "Have a lovely nap."

Rae watched the doors shut and turned to the shelves. She wandered down one of the aisles and browsed the titles. When she hit the mythology section she heard the doors open and quick footsteps. Then she was up against the wall, a body holding her in place. She looked up into Erik's eyes. His cheeks were pink and his hair even more disheveled than it had been not thirty minutes earlier. His long body held her against the wall, his arm was braced across her throat and the other held her right arm in place.

"Stay. Out. Of. My. Mind." His voice was harsh and his arm was cutting into her windpipe. She whimpered and nodded. He pressed down on her throat for a moment and then let her go. She fell to the floor in a heap and took a deep breath. When she looked up again he was gone.

She didn't leave the library until darkness had fallen and she only left because she was hungry. She wandered the halls until she found the kitchen. The refrigerator door was open and a thin beam of light illuminated the modern room.

"Want a sandwich?" Charles asked, his head still in the refrigerator.

"Sure," She watched him remove sandwich material from the refrigerator. She didn't bother telling him what sort of sandwich she wanted, he already knew. She had felt him take the information from her mind the moment she walked in. It was odd, she thought, having that sort of relationship with Charles, where he knew so much about her. It was almost as if they were one of those very old couples who had been together for more than thirty years. But she and Charles had only known each other for a little over 48 hours. It was rather disconcerting.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Charles asked as he slid the plate across the granite countertop.

"Yes," she answered honestly.

"It'll be fine," Charles's optimistic tone spilled out from around his sandwich. They ate in silence and when they were finished they put their plates in the sink. "Get some sleep Rae," he patted her on the back. "We have to get an early start tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Halloween. Thank you so much for all of the favorites and alerts, you guys really make my day 3 The end of this chapter is going to seem a little vague, but worry not, all will be revealed soon._

Chapter 4

It was still dark when she was woken by the sharp knocking on her door. There was not even the soft promise of light that comes with the edges of the sun on the pink horizon. The sky was still shades of inky blue.

"Hurry up. You're late." Rae groaned and turned over as she heard Erik's harsh voice. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and pushed herself out of bed. She shuffled to the bathroom, thankful that the previous evening she had unpacked some of her toiletries. She ran a hand through her tangled hair and decided a pony tail was in order. She washed her face and brushed her teeth and pulled on a t-shirt and jeans. She glanced at herself in the mirror and walked out of her room. She assumed Erik was going to be in the hall, waiting to take her to the training room but he wasn't. She stood in the empty hallway for a moment, looking around at the décor and sighed.

"Charles?" She reached out with her mind and tried to find Charles in the enormous house.

"Yes?" The answer was quick.

"Where am I supposed to be going?" A map appeared in her mind's eyes and she followed it down three flights of stairs, through a hidden door and down another flight of stairs to a large metal door that was wide open.

It seemed to be some sort of bunker. The walls were lined in metal and the room was curved, as if it was half a sphere. Erik leaned casually against one of the walls, his posture suggested he was relaxed but the register of his mind suggested anything but. He didn't look up when he heard Rae enter the room.

Charles and Alex stood in the center of the room, about three yards away from three mannequins that were all singed, two of them were on fire. "Rae," Charles smiled and beckoned her towards them. "Today I want you to help Alex. He needs control. We don't want him to let it all lose at once, rather be able to focus his powers on one thing."

"Maybe improve my aim." Alex joked.

Rae nodded. She walked to the middle of the room and sat down on the floor cross legged. She patted the area in front of her and looked at Alex pointedly. He sat down in front of her, mimicking her position.

"It's not about the power," She said. She took hold of Alex's hands and held them between their bodies. They sat cross legged on the floor of the nuclear bunker, the practice dummies were still on fire. "It is about the part of your brain that the power comes from. So, if you don't mind I'm going to create a gate for you, so you can access as much as you need when you need it but it will always be in your control."

Alex nodded. "It won't hurt; it'll just feel a little funny." She closed her eyes and let the tendrils of her mind expand outwards. She felt the momentary resistance of his brain and then it gave. She could feel herself travel down the neurons to the back of his mind, the place where his power was stored. She reached in and began to build. She put a gate around his power and then created a mechanism that allowed him to open the gates. His power warmed her; it brushed against her hands like a friendly dog. She slid the control mechanisms into Alex's frontal lobes and slid out of his mind.

"Try it now," She smiled reassuringly at Alex and looked up at Charles. "He should have perfect precision control." She glanced at Erik, who was leaning against the far wall, an unlit cigarette dangling between his thin lips. He looked skeptical.

Alex glanced at the mannequins and then at the others. "Could you all leave? I don't really feel comfortable with you here."

"Nope." Charles said with a reassuring grin.

"I'd be happy to." Erik pushed himself off the wall and headed towards the exit.

"Erik, play nicely." Charles admonished.

"I'd prefer not to risk getting chopped into pieces. I don't exactly trust the Limey like you do, Charles." Rae glared at Erik's retreating back.

"Alex, go for it. The middle one." The blonde gulped and closed his eyes. Rae could feel him slowly opening the flood gate she had just placed in his mind. She was terrified. A soft hum announced a blinding red light and Alex twisted his hands, took aim and knocked out the middle mannequin.

There was silence in the room, accompanied by the strong smell of burning plastic. A grin spread across Alex's face. "I did it!" He threw his arms around Rae. "Thanks!" Rae smiled and patted his back awkwardly. Charles was clapping and when Rae turned to look at the place where Erik had been standing moments before she saw nothing but an empty hallway.

Later that evening Erik wandered out onto the grounds. From his room he had a beautiful view of the forest. He often slept with his window cracked open, he loved the clean smell the woods gave to the air. He remembered living in the manufacturing areas of Dresden, everything smelt of coal and was covered in a thin layer of the black dust. He much preferred the quiet of nature. Erik looked out into the night, a lit cigarette dangling from his lips. He had been smoking for years now. The nicotine calmed him down and let him think clearly. He spent many of his evenings outside smoking, it was the only time of the day when he could get peace and quiet and be alone with his own thoughts. "Can't sleep?" He took a drag from the cigarette and tapped it on the marble railing. The ashes caught in the wind, glowing brightly for a second before going out. He didn't look at her.

"Obviously."

He felt her movements rather than saw them. She was wearing metal bracelets and had a metal belt buckle. She leaned against the rail, looking towards the mansion rather than away from it. She leaned back; her pale neck was almost fluorescent in the dark. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders in a curly mess. He put out his cigarette, crushing it until all of the sparks went out. They stayed silent, neither willing to break the stillness of the evening.

"Why are you here?" Erik asked after a few minutes of pretending not to notice her.

"I'm not sure." She said honestly. "I just felt your mind out here and I came out." She turned her head so she was looking at his profile. His nose was sharp and his cheekbones high and regal. A bit of his dark hair was pushed into his face by the wind. Where Charles had a boyish charm to him Erik was very much a man. She let her eyes roam across his body; he wore a turtleneck sweater, in the dark she couldn't tell what color it was but she knew it was soft. She reached into his mind for a moment to see how the fabric felt against his skin. She found his sensory memory and then slipped upon what he was thinking before she interrupted him. She brought images of destruction to the front of his mind. She was not sure if it was his past she was seeing or his vision of the future.

"Get out of my mind." He whirled to face her, his eyes shining and bright. He took hold of her wrist with one hand and her upper arm with the other. He was facing her, close enough that she had to tilt her head back to see his face properly. He was a foot taller than she was. She could feel the warmth of his body against hers as he held her in place. "You clearly do not respect me." He spat. "You pry into my mind without any consideration or forewarning. They may have let you get away with that sort of thing but here I won't allow it." His grip was so tight she knew she would have bruises in the morning. His breathing was rapid; his chest rose and fell quickly. His cheeks were flushed with anger. And then her arms moved. They snapped above her head. She cursed; she was wearing silly metal bangles. "You have no control." He said scathingly. Her arms moved again. This time they went behind her, he held them at such an awkward angle her shoulders began to burn. "How does it feel?" Her eyes burned with tears. She willed herself not to cry. He put his hand around her throat and squeezed. Hot tears danced down her cheeks and his eyes were almost glowing with rage.

And then he let her go and her arms were released. They fell to her side awkwardly. "Stay out of my mind." He turned and walked away. His thoughts were rolling around quickly. He was so angry he was seeing red. He was furious. How dare she peak into his mind? Erik was a very private individual; whether it was by nature or nurture he was not sure. It was necessary to be private while dealing with Shaw during the Second World War.

He pulled another cigarette from his pack and lit it. He took a deep draw and exhaled. He watched the smoke swirl into the night. He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up on end. He wanted revenge on the stupid telepath girl. He wanted her to learn the hard way why she shouldn't mess with him. Erik had a plan. Staying with Charles was just a step in his plan. If they could train enough mutants then they could easily deal with the problems to come. Erik had no sympathy for the government, no sympathy for their prejudices and their fears. He knew what happened when people needed a scapegoat, when people were afraid. He knew too well. He finished his cigarette and rubbed the tattoo on his forearm. The numbers that were burned into his skin and his mind.

He wouldn't stand for the insolence of one little mutant girl, not when there was so much at stake.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you all for the favorites and alerts. Reviews are much appreciated :]_

Chapter 5

A week had passed since the altercation between Rae and Erik. She had been avoiding him. She would find excuses to not work around him in the bunker. She stuck to Charles day and night, as if she was a small child scared of things that went bump in the night. Erik had been scared at first, wondering if she was going to tell Charles about that night, but she was apparently just as private as he was and hadn't said anything. He knew that she and Charles had sessions in which they would explore each other's minds and he believed that she was shielding from him. There was simply no other explanation. Charles' moral code would have had him banging on Erik's bedroom door demanding reparations if he had heard Erik laid a hand on his precious telepath.

But Rae was not the only one with access into the mind of Charles Xavier. He and Erik spent their evenings holed up in the library playing chess and discussing strategy.

It was a Friday evening when Erik decided to make his first move. He and Charles sat at the chess set. It was Charles's move. Erik's fingers were steepled and his chin rested on his fingertips. "Tell me about the girl." He said.

"I don't know if I can." Charles looked up from the chess board. "What I see in her mind during our sessions is private. I can't in good faith tell you things I promised to keep to myself." Charles moved his knight forward, capturing one of Erik's bishops.

"Charles, you and your ethical considerations." Erik examined the chess board. The game was really just beginning; he had not sacrificed but a few pawns and the bishop. He always made sacrifices. His queen quickly leaped forward to capture the knight. "I want her to understand her powers, so she can help the team. That's all I ask."

Charles glared at the queen and settled back in his chair, seemingly forsaking the game. "She is powerful but…" He paused for a moment, thinking about how much he could say. "My power is lateral. I am more powerful than she is in the level sense. Her power ends here." He held up his hand. "And mine ends here." His other hand was suspended above the other.

"So, on a scale of one to five, you would be a five and she would be a three?"

"No, not exactly. Her power is horizontal; she does more with a smaller supply. I can control the mind; make people believe things, see things that are not there, not see things that are there. She can too, but only to a certain extent. Her power borders more on telekinesis; she can take control of a mind and physically control a person but cannot erase her possession from their mind." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "When she was a small girl the MI5 experimented on her, tested her powers. She has memories of sending objects flying. People flying." Charles pushed one of his pawns forward halfheartedly. "She killed both of her parents."

Erik looked up from the board sharply. "What?"

"Accidently, of course. But she didn't have control over her powers and she sent knives flying into her parents' skulls."

"The anger that must have caused that…" Erik trailed off. "What did the humans do to her?"

"You say humans like you aren't one Erik."

"We are certainly not humans, Charles." Charles pushed his lips together.

"They called the government to take her away. I can only imagine what her parents must have felt, having to watch what they thought around their child. She didn't want to go, so they fought them. They knocked her out after she killed her parents and two officials."

Erik smiled. "She can do more than she says she can then." Erik had spent most of the week watching her grandstand, giving any excuse to not use her powers. He had no respect for a mutant that would not own up to what they were.

"Don't push her Erik. Her control stems out of the repression of her powers, without that control I don't know what would happen."

"That is the beauty of it; she is unlimited in what she could do."

"Why so curious all of a sudden Erik? I was under the impression you didn't like her very much."

"I am interested in her ability. It is no different from my interest in Alex's ability, or Raven's." Charles pushed a pawn forward. "I think we should make her work to harness her full potential, just as we push the others."

Charles shook his head gently. "It would be unwise to push her."

"Why?" Erik asked sharply.

"She's mentally fragile." Charles struggled for words. "It is almost as if she is trapped in a developmental stage. There is a fight between her real mental age and her five year old self." Charles scrubbed his face with his hands. "How much do you know about developmental psychology?"

"I'm versed in Freud."

"Well, it is almost like she is stuck in one of Freud's phases. But I wouldn't use his crude terminology. She struggles with her inability to move past the mental age of five. She has that small child mentality, she latches onto a parent figure and does everything she can to try and please them. She wasn't socialized properly, Erik. Think of it this way, you were taken from your family as a young adult." Erik nodded his consent. "You had spent a great deal of time with your family and friends being properly socialized. You know how to interact with other people. She doesn't. She was never sent to school as a child, her parents did their best to ignore her and then they gave her to the government where she underwent years of testing. The fact that she can function in a social environment as well as she can is something of a miracle." Charles stood up and went to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a small glass of scotch. He motioned at Erik, silently asking if he wanted any. The German shook his head. He may smoke but that was his only vice. "I've been trying to teach her but it's difficult. She throws tantrums and then she becomes overly affectionate or simply ignores me. And then she has moments of complete clarity and brilliance. She helped Alex with his powers earlier this week, I had doubts about her doing that but she has an understanding of the mind that even I don't have." Charles drained his glass and returned to his seat. "I don't think we should push her Erik. Let her come to us in her own time."

"I think you're wrong Charles." Erik said as he watched Charles make his next move. "I think we should attempt to help her with her powers. It would help her socialize as well. She needs to interact with other people besides you Charles."

Charles was silent for a moment. "I suppose you're right. I'll talk to her in the morning."

Erik moved a knight. "Checkmate, Charles. Checkmate."

The next afternoon saw them in the training room. Charles and Erik were breathing heavily and Rae was shaking. "You're doing well Rae," Charles said kindly. It was the first day they were working on her power. It had taken Charles a great deal of time to convince Rae of the necessity of such a task. He had practically dragged her down to the training room and when she had seen Erik she had gone ghostly white and tried to make some excuse to leave. Charles effectively calmed her down.

They had spent the last hour trying to get her to take full control of their bodies. She had achieved partial control of motor movement, she could stop them from moving, but that was nothing she hadn't done before. Charles was trying to get her to fully take control of a person, motor movements, thoughts and all.

Charles's soft words had done nothing to make Rae feel any less useless and had only made Erik angry. Erik was obsessed with what Charles had told him the evening before. He wanted to see Rae make things levitate. He wanted to cause an emotional reaction strong enough to make her use every ounce of her powers. He wanted to create the images of mommy and daddy fighting to get her powers working. He wanted to see exactly what she could do and find out how useful she could be for his plans. He had changed his mind about revenge after speaking with Charles the evening before. Charles's moral constructs were too heavily entrenched in his mind for him to join Erik in his final plan. Rae, on the other hand, was a loose cannon. Erik could mold her as he saw fit, but first he needed a full understanding of what exactly she could do before he decided if she was worth the effort.

"You're doing great, Rae." Charles said kindly for the tenth time. "I can't move my arms at all."

"I can." Erik flailed his arms around to prove his point.

"Erik." Charles's voice had a warning tone. "Just keep trying Rae, you're doing great."

"No," Erik said, his voice tinged with anger. "She isn't doing enough. Try harder girl, show us that you're worthy of your mutation." Erik watched as Rae's eyes began to water. She shut them tightly and screwed up her face in concentration.

"Erik!"

"Stop it." Rae muttered quietly.

"Be quiet, Charles." He growled. He kept his eyes trained on the girl. "More. You're not doing anything properly. You're fucking useless." He spat.

"Erik! Shut your mouth right now. She's doing-"

"Nothing. That's the point Charles. She's not doing anything. I could hold your arms in place because you are wearing a metal watch." Charles's arms flew upwards. "See, I can override her attempts to control you physically."

"Erik, you are being an inconsiderate prick!"

"Stop it." She said softly. She put her hands over her ears and shut her eyes tightly. "Stop yelling at each other." But they continued. Erik's eyes were narrowed and Charles was standing stiffly. "Shut up!" Their voices rose, she was reminded of her parents, when they would argue about what they should do with their demon possessed child. She thought about all of the years when the people from the MI5 would scream at her when she was not performing how they wanted her to. "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" And then there was silence. She opened her eyes slowly.

Erik and Charles were suspended upside down in mid air. "Rae, I need you to put us down." Charles said slowly, enunciating each word as if he was dealing with a man holding a gun to someone's head. She looked around the room and saw that every object was in the air, spinning as if they were planets revolving around Charles and Erik.

Erik was grinning on the inside. On the outside he scowled. "Control your powers, girl, don't let them control you."

"Stop it." Her voice was deadly calm. "Don't talk to me." The objects in the room began to spin faster. Metal polls orbited so quickly they were only blurs in the air. The mannequins began to come apart, their arms going flying.

"Rae-" Charles began softly.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed. Two of the mannequins exploded. She was shaking, her body softly convulsing. Charles closed his mouth quickly. Her hair rose slowly around her head, as if by static energy. The orange tendrils writhed angrily, the image of Medusa danced Erik's head. He could not stop a smile from drifting across his mouth. They floated towards her and with each yard they traveled the pressure in Charles Xavier's head grew. He clutched his head between his hands and opened his mouth for a wordless scream. His body undulated. He felt as if his skull was cracking in two.

They stopped right in front of the telepath. Her eyes were unfocused. Charles began to scream, his hands tore at his hair. Clumps of the dark brown hair fell to the ground. Erik looked over at his friend and flinched.

"Rae?" His voice was soft as he addressed the telepath. He was almost drowned out by Charles' screaming. He reached out to her, his hand shaking with the force of moving against the telepathic force field she had created around herself. He muttered softly in German. His hand cupped her face and he felt her lean into it. "Rae, I need you to let us go sweetheart." His thumb ran across her cheekbone. Her eyes cleared and the two men fell to the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you so much __Kau'I, __ilovefalloutboy__, and __Aoi Nami-chan__ for your lovely reviews. Thank you to everyone who favorited and alerted. You guy seriously make my day. _

Chapter 6

Charles didn't remember a time when he had ever been angrier than he was. He now understood the term "seeing red." There was a distinct possibility that he had broken Erik's nose. Rae had locked herself in her room and Charles had heard her think about leaving. Raven was the only person who could make him feel better about the whole situation. She had sat in his study, curled up on the couch, and listened as he paced and ranted about Erik's irresponsibility. Her large brown eyes following his movements. She was completely still, like an animal watching a predator. Part of that worried Charles, he had never quite seen himself as a predator before but something primal in Raven's mind was calling him the alpha, as much as he tried to block it out, he could still hear it.

When he had finished and drained two glasses of the finest scotch in the liquor cabinet she opened her mouth. "I think you need a night off." She said slowly. "You've been working since this whole government thing started. First you are rushed to England and then training. Are you even sleeping?"

"Sometimes," He muttered evasively. The truth was he hadn't been sleeping much at all. There were quite a few minds in the house and both Erik and Rae were very loud projectors. Raven had been a blessing to live with in retrospect. Her mind was busy but quiet, like a low buzz in the background. It had never bothered him, it comforted him. Especially now, the soft buzz of her mind was bringing his stress levels down. He could almost feel his headache receding. He sat down on the couch next to her and put his head on her shoulder.

"Charles, you need a night to relax. We'll go see a movie or something, To Kill a Mocking Bird just came out and you loved that book. Let's see the movie."

He sighed, "Fine." He smiled up at his best friend, "Just you and I tonight, like old times." She smiled back and for a moment he could have sworn her chosen human skin had gained a slight bluish appearance.

Rae felt Charles and Raven leave the mansion. Their minds both buzzed with happiness. She understood the need to get away but she did not like the idea of Charles being so far away. She had almost imprinted on him in the last week and a half. He knew more about her than anyone else did. He had access to all of her memories, all of her deepest thoughts. It seemed only natural for her to become so attached. She also had an extraordinary amount of knowledge about him. If she believed in Freud's ideas she would have said she was seeking some sort of father figure to replace the one she had killed. But she thought the idea of an Electra complex was absolutely ridiculous. She just liked Charles. A lot.

She let her mind reach outwards and she took comfort in the presence of Alex's mind across the hall. She felt her stomach rumble with hunger and she realized that she had not eaten all day. She slipped quietly out of the room after she had checked the location of the men in the mansion. She tiptoed down the hall and made it down to the large kitchen.

The counters were covered in a grey and black speckled marble and all of the appliances were done in shiny silver. She always took a moment to take in the opulence every time she set foot in a room at the mansion. Her hands caressed the cool marble as she shuffled to the refrigerator. She opened it and pulled out the ingredients for a sandwich. The house was wonderfully silent and Rae could hear nothing but the whirring of machinery and her own mind. She thought about the incident in the training room and felt tears prick in her eyes. She hadn't wanted to hurt anyone.

It had been Erik's fault, she decided, e had made her terribly upset and she had lost control. Control was so very important to her. She did not come here to work on her own powers; she came to help other mutants to understand her own. She would simply tell Charles that and he would understand that anything having to do with her mutation was off limits. And then he would convince Erik of that and everything would be fine. She hoped.

"Rae," She jumped at the noise. She hadn't felt anyone enter the kitchen and that made her very nervous. She recognized Erik's lightly accented voice and cringed.

"What do you want?" She slammed the refrigerator door and pushed passed him, moving to the door, her food forgotten on the counter.

"To talk."

She shook her head, "I don't want to talk to you." It was his fault she was so shaken, his fault she hadn't heard his mind when he entered the kitchen. She pulled open the door and his arm shot out to grab her. His fingers were warm against her skin.

"I want to help you with your powers." He said softly. She almost laughed. How dare he say such a thing when it was his fault that she had almost killed Charles.

"I don't need your help, I have Charles." She struggled to remove herself from his grip.

"Charles doesn't want to push you. He is afraid of what you might do." Erik yanked her towards him. "He is afraid of something like yesterday happening again." Their bodies were so close he could feel the heat radiating off of her. "I want to see all of it." His voice was deep, husky. "I want to see all of you." She blushed at the sexual innuendo.

"Erik, I don't think that's a good-" he cut her off by putting a long finger against her lips.

"Meet me in the training room tomorrow after dinner." He moved away from her and exited the kitchen.


	7. Chapter 7

_You all rock! Thanks so much for the favorites and alerts. _

Chapter 7

The next day seemed to move too quickly. Rae knew time was mocking her, making her make her decision quickly. All day she could feel Erik's eyes on her. She could feel his mind pressing at hers, telling her to meet him in the training room. She avoided him during dinner and clung to Charles, hoping that Erik would not have a chance to corner her again. She was both terrified of the man and very curious. She held onto Charles' hand through dinner and afterwards. She had every block in her mind set up, for some reason she did not want Charles to know about Erik's proposition.

She, Charles and Raven sat in the television room and watched Walter Cronkite on the evening news. She could feel Erik's mind in his room. He was frustrated and he was pacing around. She almost burst into tears when the evening news ended and Charles suggested they go to bed. He, like the gentleman he was, escorted both ladies to their rooms and bid them a good night. It was half an hour before she felt Charles' mind fall asleep. It was another ten minutes before she felt Erik leave his room to make his way down to the training room. And it was about fifteen minutes before she left for the downstairs bunker. She was terrified. Terrified of what would happen if she did go but even more terrified of what Erik would do if she didn't.

They were alone in the training room. The mannequins that Alex used for target practice were pushed against the wall; their burned corpses made the long room seem like a mausoleum. Long metal rods were in a pile on the floor as well as a series of metal balls that resembled the ones used for bowling. "I wasn't sure if you'd come." He said when she entered.

"Well, I'm here."

"I'm glad." He said offhandedly. He turned to look at her. "We have work to do. You are not as controlled as you'd like to believe." Erik said. His voice was soft and low but it echoed around the nuclear bunker. "Yesterday proves that." He watched as a flush rose in her cheeks. "So you need to practice just as much as the rest of us do." He began to walk towards her slowly, she tensed. He was very clearly the predator and she was obviously the prey. She felt her heart rate increase. The tables had turned. She was not the cool, collected woman he had had tea with a week ago. She was a terrified young girl.

"You can move objects." He said, his voice was rough and gravely.

She shook he head, "I can't."

"You did yesterday."

"I was upset."

A dark eyebrow raised, "But you did it. Now we just have to master it."

She shook her head again. "I can't do it Erik. It was an accident, a fluke. It's not going to happen again. I can control things with minds only, humans and animals, not objects."

"Only because you aren't trying hard enough."

"I am trying." Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to hurt anyone." She muttered.

Erik stopped. His eye searched her face for a moment. "It's not that you can't, it's that you're scared of what will happen. You're scared of your own powers." A shadow crossed his face and then he was running. Rae had a split second to realize that he was going to collide with her before he did. They both hit the floor and her head smashed against the tile. Pain shot through her skull and blood pooled in her mouth. And then she couldn't breathe. Erik's hands were around her throat, he was choking her. She tried to struggle but couldn't, her legs were being held in place by the metal rods. They were on top of her arms and legs, pushing her into the floor.

"Use your power." Erik growled. She spluttered her vision began to get spotty; Erik's face began to fade in and out. And then it stopped. Her airways were free and she took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and sat up slowly. Erik was across the room, his body in a heap. There was an Erik shaped dent in the far wall of the bunker. She stood up and felt nausea overtake her. She dry heaved for a moment before rushing over to Erik. She fell to her knees and rolled him over. She brushed a strand of hair out of his face and let her palm linger on his cheek.

"Erik?" His eyes opened slowly and he winced.

"You tossed me across the room." He said, shocked.

"I almost killed you!" She threw her arms around his body and clutched him tightly.

"You used your powers to toss me across the room." She let go of him and looked down at him. A smile slid across his face. He winced as he pushed himself up off the floor. "Now we just have to get you to do that with objects."

She shook her head and helped him stand up. Blood trickled down the side of his face. "You're bleeding."

"It's just a scratch." He waved her concern away. She reached up and ran her hand through his hair. It came away bloody.

"That's more than a scratch. I could have cracked your skull in half you idiot!" She drove her fist into his shoulder. He winced again and glared at her. "Come with me, we have to get you cleaned up." She took his hand and dragged him out of the room. His head spun and he wanted to pull away from the spritely girl but he didn't have the strength. She led him to a room he had never been in before and then into the bathroom so quickly he wasn't able to catalogue the nuances of the room. All he had time to do was briefly feel the metal in the lamps, the bed posts, the buttons and zippers of jeans and the handles of drawers before the bathroom door shut and he was pushed onto the edge of the bathtub.

"Sit still." She ordered. She rummaged in a closet and pulled out a washcloth. She held it under the stream of the sink and rung it out. Then she bent down and held it to his head. It stung but he wouldn't let her see his pain. She ran the washcloth over his scalp, washing away the blood. Her fingers played through his hair, moving it so she had better access to the skin below. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her fingers on his non-injured scalp. He hissed when the cloth made contact with the opening in his scalp. "Would you please sit still?" He glared up at her and did as she commanded.

When she was finished he let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. The tension in his shoulders lessened only to be replaced by a throbbing pain along his back. He was sure in a few hours time his back would be painted in bruises. Her hand lingered on his temple for a moment, her eyes burning into his. "Thank you," He said stiffly. The trance was broken.

She hopped away from him, and went to the sink to rinse the blood off the cloth. "It was the least I could do," she said jokingly. "After all, I almost killed you."

He crossed the small room and stopped at the door. "Do me a favor," he muttered. "Don't tell Charles about this. He'd be mad at both of us." Rae bit her lip uncomfortably. She didn't want to keep anything from Charles but she knew he wouldn't like what she was doing.

"Alright," She said. "I won't tell him."


	8. Chapter 8

_I apologize for the delay in updating. It's been a busy few weeks. Thank you to everyone who favorite, alerted and reviewed 3_

Chapter 8

Her bedroom door burst open and a very distraught looking Raven marched in. "You have to help me." She said breathlessly. "I have a date with a human boy."

Rae looked up from the book she was reading. "Oh." She quickly reached into Raven's mind to see that a local boy had asked her out on a date when she was at the movies with Charles. "Okay." She set her book down and stood up. She followed the blonde out of the room. The difference between Rae's room and Raven's room was immense and rather intense. Rae's room was military grade clean, she always had to keep everything spotless when she was with the MI5 and it was a habit that was not easily broken. Raven's room looked like an atom bomb had exploded somewhere in her bureau. Clothes littered the floor and shoes were tossed around haphazardly, most of the time far away from their partners. The room smelled vaguely of fruit perfumes and makeup. The disorder was making Rae very uncomfortable. Raven cleared away a spot on her bed for Rae and disappeared into her closet.

"I don't know how much help I'll be," Rae said. She had never had any interactions with other girl until she went to Oxford, and even then no one had really talked to her. Raven left her closet and was dressed in a pair of low riding jeans and a tank top.

"It'll be find, all you have to tell me is what you think of an outfit." The blonde spun around in a slow circle. "How does this look?"

"Good, but if you are going out o dinner that could be a little too casual." Rae said slowly, measuring each word carefully.

"Good point." Raven slipped back into her closet and returned in a different outfit. Several outfits were tried and rejected and Rae was getting impatient and uncomfortable. She had no idea how anyone could care that much about what they looked like.

"Raven, you have nothing to worry about. You're beautiful." Rae said exasperatedly when Raven was modeling the fifteenth outfit. Raven was examining her outfit in the mirror very critically. She wore a light green flowing top that made her skin glow and low slung jeans that clung to her well shaped thighs. "I wish I looked like you."

Raven laughed. "I don't really look like this," She morphed and turned blue. She expected Rae to jump back but the redhead only blinked.

"You're still fucking gorgeous." Raven laughed out loud. "Don't laugh, I'm being serious." Rae pushed herself up from her spot on the bed. "Your body is fantastic. And so what, your skin is blue. That just means you can't wear that green shirt, but you can wear this one and you'll look equally amazing." Rae tossed her a different shirt. Raven smiled and Rae felt her min begin to calm. Rae stood up. "Wear the green; it brings out your eyes. Have fun tonight and tell me how it goes." Raven embraced her before she left and Rae felt a smile creep across her lips. The mansion was beginning to feel like home.

She spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding Charles. She could hear his brain patterns wandering around the mansion. She felt slightly guilty about training with Erik, like she was somehow betraying her mentor. She was terrified that if she looked him in the eye he would be able to see everything. She knew he wouldn't be mad, Charles never let himself to succumb to anger, rather he would be disappointed that she kept something from him. Her mind continued to follow him around the mansion and she took a deep breath of relief when he retired to the garage to tinker with his Rolls Royce.

She wandered down to the library, which was on the opposite end of the house from the garage. She browsed through the bookshelves, taking in the dusty paper smell. The dust tangoed across the rays of light that battled their way across the thick panes of glass in the windows. She gathered books into her arms and found herself a spot on the floor.

She sat in the middle of the library, open books in a circle around her body. "What are you doing?" Erik's voice made her jump and a large tome fell out of her lap.

"Studying." She said. She flipped back through the book, trying to find the page she had been on.

"Why?" He squatted down next to her, on the outside of her circle of books. She thought about Charles, and knew that avoidance wasn't exactly the correct answer.

"Because it comforts me. And I haven't had time to do it since I got here. I miss that about being in England. They got me whatever books I wanted and whenever I wanted to I could sit and read. I'm always busy here. I need a break."

He looks at the books she is reading. Philosophy, a lot of philosophy texts. "Why philosophy?"

"Because I'm bored of everything else." She does not look at him as she speaks. Her hair frames her face, making it hard for him to see her expression. He wonders for a moment if he is bothering her. "You're not."

"What?"

"Bothering me."

He scowls, "Stay out of my head Rae."

"I'm sorry. You're just thinking very loudly." He was often confused about her. They way she sometimes acted like a small child, as if she had not been properly socialized. He wondered about her time with the MI5, Charles had told him one evening during a chess game about the experiments. Her parents had handed her over and the government spent years poking and prodding at her. He wondered if the part of him that had been crushed at Auschwitz had been crushed in her too. But part of him did not want to find out, because he wanted to suffer in solitude, solitude made him stronger. And he did not want pity. He had never wanted their pity.

He presses his lips together and tries to figure out how to think softly. "Charles and I play chess in the evening. Come by if you'd like, bring a book. I'll be quieter with us than out here where Alex and Sean are around to make a mess." He does not wait or her response. He stands up and walks out of the library, wishing for just a moment that he could read her thoughts as she read his.


	9. Chapter 9

I am soooo sorry for the delay. I was testing and graduating high school and things got super crazy. But I'm back! And hopefully this chapter was worth the wait :]

Chapter 9

Rae lay on the floor by the fire, a book close to her face. Charles and Erik were immersed in a chess game a few feet away. After each move Erik would glance over at the redhead. And every once in a while he would feel the tendrils of a mind against his own. As he moved his bishop it happened again. He felt the small tingle of another presence in his mind. He knew she wasn't being malevolent, she was simply curious about the game but he hated it when she picked around in his head. He closed his eyes and imagined her naked, tied down on his bed, legs splayed magnificently. The presence left instantly and when he looked down at the floor he could see the blush in her cheeks. He chuckled and she rolled over and glared at him. Her position pushed her breasts over the line of her shirt.

His mind danced back to the image of her in his bed. She was not too young for him; Charles had told him that she was twenty, almost twenty-one. But there was something about her that made her seem so much younger. She displayed a calm confidence and aloofness, she could clearly take care of herself, but there was part of her, and he couldn't put his finger on it, but he was sure there was part of her that wanted to be dominated. Something about her helplessness made him want to dominate her.

"Your move, Erik." Charles' voice brought him out of his thoughts. He took a moment to make sure his mental shields were firmly in place, it wouldn't do to have Charles hear thoughts like that. Erik moved a pawn. Charles had expressed concern over Rae's sudden attitude change. She was avoiding him, finding excuses to skip their lessons. Charles was worried that something was wrong with her. Erik was annoyed at the girl. She had taken his request not to tell Charles about their sessions to the next level. She simply wasn't speaking to him at all. He had suggested that she watch their chess game to make her interact with Charles, to make Charles believe that everything was just like it had been before.

"Checkmate, Erik." Erik looked down at the shining marble pieces and scowled. He had been distracted and not noticed Charles' plan. He tipped his king over and inclined his head to his friend.

"Well done, my friend."

Charles drained the last of the whiskey in his shot glass and smiled. "Better luck next time, Erik." He laughed good naturedly and yawned. "I am going to retire. It's been a rather long day." He dark haired man stood up and walked over to where Rae was laying. "Goodnight Rae." She smiled her lips tight together and echoed his parting statement. Erik watched Rae stand and wander back into the stacks. Erik waited a moment before following behind her. She wore a silver necklace, he could feel her movement. She was reaching for a book when he came up behind her. He slammed her against the shelf and pressed her into the books. The wood of the shelves pressed into her thighs, hips and chest.

"You are a stupid little girl." He muttered. He ducked his head so his mouth was level with her ear. "You don't listen, do you?" His body was pressed into hers, keeping her hostage against the bookshelf. "Stop acting like a deer in headlights around Charles. He will realize you're hiding something from him. It doesn't take a telepath to realize that sweetheart." He ran a long fingered hand down her cheek. "Stop this silliness. I won't tolerate it any longer." He let his hands drift down towards her neck and he gave her a small squeeze and pressed his lips to her cheek. "Be a good little girl and meet me out on the lawn tomorrow morning."

He let her go and she fell to her knees. She watched him walk away. When the sound of the door shutting echoed back to where she was every bit of glass in the room exploded.

The next morning was chilly. She was early and Erik had not yet arrived which gave her time to study the landscape. Charles' Rolls Royce was parked in the driveway; it was the only thing that disturbed the lush green surrounding her. Dew dripped down the blades of grass. The sky was bleeding pink and the air danced across her skin, an imitation of a lover's caress. She closed her eyes and listened to the symphony of morning.

"I hope I haven't left you standing here long." His voice was metallic on her ears. It seemed fitting that he could control metal because he had a magnetic personality. A leader, he drew people towards him. She was a little afraid that it would be hard to wrench herself away from his magnetic pull if she got caught in his orbit.

"Not long." She was feeling light and airy, like she was five. The crispness of the air was doing funny things to her head.

"Have you practiced at all?" His face was all harsh planes and sharp angles.

"Yes." She was lying. It had been hard for her to pull her powers together since their last session; she had been so emotionally and mentally exhausted that it felt like her powers had retreated inside her. Her telepathic range was suddenly much smaller and every bit of telekinetic power she displayed of recent seemed to be accidental. She had tried once or twice to utilize her powers but she simply wasn't working.

He nodded though, accepting her lie. "We need to start moving bigger things." He said curtly. She nodded although she wasn't really listening. He pointed at the car, "I want you to move it." She opened her mouth to object but the look he gave her made her want to curl into a ball. She knew backing out wasn't an option. She turned to the Rolls Royce and held out her hands, hoping to concentrate her power in one direction. She tried to pull at her powers but they wouldn't come. She pushed and pushed but the car didn't move an inch. "What are you doing?" Erik was angry, she closed her eyes and tried to block him out but he kept talking. "Sop fucking around. You're wasting my time and yours. Lift the damn car!" Her lips pressed together and then she felt his hands around her throat. "Lift the car Rae." And when she opened her eyes the car was in the air right above them. It hovered for a moment and then dropped.

She could feel the magnetic field that Erik created move the car before it smashed them both. She felt him throw it and watched as it crashed into the ground creating a horrible creator. And then she felt every bit of her power flood back into her mind and she felt her control slip and suddenly she was screaming and screaming and there were voices around her, Erik, and voices in her mind, Charles, telling her to calm down but she couldn't her them over the sound of her own screams. And then Charles was all around her and inside her mind all at once and she felt him touch something inside her head that made her stop screaming. She felt his arms around her and she collapsed into him.

She buried her head in his chest. "I'm so sorry." She mumbled over and over again. Her breathing was rapid and her words even more so. He smoothed down her hair and whispered words of comfort. Her small body was shaking. He could feel her hands vibrate against his back.

"Take a deep breath baby, everything is fine." She shook her head but did not remove it from his chest so it felt like she was trying to burrow inside him. She continued to shake. "Really, it is. If anything it's Erik's fault. He pushed you to do it and now I have a crushed car." He squeezed her tightly. "I'm just glad you're okay." He moved her head away from his chest and blinked up at him. Her large green eyes were swimming with tears. He placed a kiss on her forehead. "It's just a car, Rae." She glanced in the direction of his crumpled Rolls Royce and burst into tears. He sighed, crying women had never been his forte. One would think with his mind reading capabilities…he was even hopeless with Raven and had been for years. He pressed his lips to her nose and made more noncommittal noises of comfort. He wanted to find Erik and beat him to a pulp for making him deal with a hysterical girl.

Charles looked down at her and his heart hurt. She was a wreck. Her face covered in tears and dirt, her clothes ripped and even dirtier than her pale face. He ran a hand over her cheek to wipe away the tears and his other hand went to smooth down her hair. "Oh Rae," He smiled. "What am I going to do with you?" Tears continued to drip from her eyes in a way that was vaguely reminiscent of a leaky faucet. Her hands were still clutching his shirt and he could feel the heat of her body against his.

He pressed another kiss to her forehead and then down to her nose and then he pressed his lips against hers. She stiffened for a moment but then sank into his body. It felt like he was absorbing her. He had never kissed another telepath so he had never felt a mind attack his barriers like she was at that moment. He had always made sure not to read the minds of the girls he was kissing, after one horrible incident with a girl who spend the whole kiss and most of the evening comparing Charles to her ex boyfriend. But with Rae it was different. It was if her mind and his had somehow melted together. And he knew that this was her first kiss and that she was enjoying it immensely and she thought that that thing he was doing with his tongue was fantastic. And he was sure she was getting something from his mind as well.

They broke away slowly. Her lips were swollen and red but she wasn't crying anymore. Her hand went up to her lips; her fingers bushed the swollen flesh. Charles grabbed her hand and pressed butterfly kisses against each finger.

She put her head against his chest again and sighed. "I'm sorry for doing that." He said, guilt setting in.

"Don't be." She said into his shirt. She looked up into his eyes. "That was wonderful." He smiled when her arms snaked around his neck and she stood on her tip toes to reach his lips. She gave him a quick peck and blushed.

They walked back to the mansion hand in hand and only let go when they made it to her room.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you to all of you who favorited and reviewed and I am very sorry for the delay. I'm having trouble with where to go from here so my question to you is what do you want to see? More Erik? More Charles? More ass kicking? Let me know! Thanks again for reading!

Chapter 10

Charles was horrifically angry. Absolutely enraged. He had wanted to kill Erik for putting Rae into danger. The telepath had told him that she and Erik had been working on her telekinesis. He watched her memories and the mental abuse that Erik put her through, creating stressful situations to mimic her childhood trauma. It was irresponsible and could have cost them the girl. Once he had deposited the shaken telepath in her room he had set out to find Erik. With a quick mental scan of the mansion he found him in the library. Erik stood as Charles entered the vast room and for a moment the look in Charles' eyes scared him.

"You don't care about her nor do you care about the rest of the kids in this house! You're using them Erik, and that is not the point of all of this." Charles threw his arms out, gesturing wildly.

"What exactly is the point, Charles? To work with the government, like nice trained little mutants? The government that will ultimately destroy us?"

"You're paranoid, Erik. And it's making you sloppy. We have a job, it is our responsibility to train those kids, not damage them anymore than they already are."

"They're not kids, Charles."

"If you think that then you're an idiot. Especially Rae, you haven't been inside her head. There is a lot of trauma and sometimes she might as well be twelve. I need you to not fuck up all the things she and I have worked on. She's damaged, Erik. Don't make it worse." Charles turned and exited the library, leaving Erik alone among the many dusty tomes.

Charles had declared that she was no longer allowed to use her powers near Erik. The dictatorial way he delivered his announcement made her think of Erik. Charles always had a calm aura about him whereas Erik felt like lava under a cool rock surface. So she was delegated to the Medical Bay with a lovely man named Hank. Hank had studied the molecular aspect of mutation but hadn't delved at all into the mental aspects. So she and Hank spent her first day down in the Med Bay discussing ways to integrate their knowledge.

In her weeks at the mansion she had had very little interaction with anyone besides Charles and Erik and talking with Hank was refreshing. "I think we can test this out," he muttered as he typed away at a computer, a series of equations popped up on the large screen. "We can test hormone levels while a power is in effect and do brain scans and then integrate the information. I'll obviously have to take a tissue sample so I can try to find the mutated gene that caused the power. Charles is convinced that there have to be other base mutations that allow all mutations to manifest differently otherwise we'd all have the same mutation."

Rae nodded, "That makes sense, I'd imagine Charles and I have a very similar pattern of mutation. Could you test that?"

"Sort of," Hank turned to her and adjusted his glasses. "The entire genome isn't mapped out yet, it will be years before we do that but Charles has found the sequence that is the reason we're mutants. I'll compare a couple of tissue samples; I have one from everyone in the house so I've been looking at those."

"We'd also need someone to test this out on. Someone with a power that is controllable, easy to deal with in enclosed spaces."

"Raven then, she'd be perfect." Rae nodded in agreement. "I'll go talk to her after I finish imputing this data. Can you run to the kitchen and make some sandwiches? We are going to have a long afternoon ahead of us."

When Charles entered the kitchen she already had a teacup ready for him. "Lucky," he said "having a mind reader as a friend." She laughed and pushed a cup towards him.

"Milk, no sugar."

"Correct," he pointed at her cup. "Milk and loads of sugar." She nodded. He was terribly fascinated with everything he knew about her from their sessions. And all that she knew about him. He had never had anyone who had known him so completely, not even Raven. Although, to be fair, Raven would certainly know more about him if she could read his mind. He settled into one of the kitchen stools and began to sip his tea. It was exactly as he liked it.

"Hank and I are going to start to run some experiments on Raven."

Charles' eyebrow raised. "What sort of experiments? Nothing I should be worried about, right?"

"No, no. We just want to see how closely the brain is connected with the act of using one's mutation. Hank and I are doing a lot of talking about causation, triggering. Was there a traumatic event that caused you to realize you could read minds?"

Charles steepled his fingers, "I got the first glimpse of what I could do after my father died. My mother remarried and there was an….abusive situation. My powers started manifesting to their full extent at that point." She nodded and didn't ask any further questions on the subject, she could feel the unease rolling off his mind. "Anyway, I would very much like to be present for those experiments if you and Hank wouldn't mind."

"Of course not. We're going to start tomorrow; Hank has already talked to Raven."

"Excellent!" Charles drained his cup and clapped his hands together. "I am going to work with Sean for a bit and tuck in early; it's been a long day." Rae stood up and moved closer to Charles.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." She pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth and scurried out of the kitchen.

She scampered through the hallways and to her room. She had a lot to think about between what she and Hank were planning and the kiss she and Charles had shared the day before. She felt fuzzy whenever she thought about it. It had been one of the singular most interesting moments of her life; she had felt so much of Charles, more than she had ever felt during their sessions together. Almost as if she had unlocked a new part of his mind. She flung herself onto her bed and pulled the large volume she had been reading off her bedside table. She let it fall open to her bookmarked page and had just begun to read when she heard a knock at the door. She put her book down and reached out with her mind. She was met by the large wall that could only be Erik's defenses.

"Come in." She set the book down on the dresser and pushed herself off of the bed. It was when she looked into Erik's face that she knew she should have listened to Charles and kept as far away from Erik as possible. He closed the door and the soft click made her feel extremely trapped but she didn't reach out to Charles with her mind.

"Charles is under the impression that I am hurting you in some way." He said by way of greeting.

"Oh?"

"My methods have been…unorthodox but you cannot deny that there has been improvement." He searched her face. "I will not apologize for what I have done. I will apologize for any undue harm that I may have caused you." He pressed his lips together and looked away from her. He heard the rustling that suggested movement but couldn't feel it, she wasn't wearing anything metal. Her hand cupped his cheek and she angled his face towards hers.

"Thank you." And before she released him she pressed a small kiss to the corner of his mouth.


	11. Chapter 11

Mistressarianaphantomhive, I hope this is enough Erik for you ;)

Chapter 11

She grasped at the soft fabric of his cashmere turtleneck. His hands twisted in her hair and he pulled. Her mouth opened in a yelp and he attacked her lips. He was everywhere. His hands in her hair and then her shoulders, her arms, her waist. Pulling her towards him. Crushing her body into his. His lips pressed hard against hers, his tongue battling hers for domination. He was clearly winning. He bit down on her lower lip and she tasted blood. One of his hands was wrapped up in her hair again and the other held the back of her neck, firmly keeping her in place. Her breasts were crushed firmly against his hard chest, her hand, still clutching his shirt, were caught between both of their bodies.

He pulled away and she groaned at the loss of contact. His arms wrapped around her body and he hoisted her over his shoulder. He strode to the bed and dumped her onto it. She bounced once before gathering her balance. He crawled across the mattress towards her, a purely predatory look on his face. He growled and ran his hands up her body. He pushed the hem of her shirt up and she raised her upper body off the bed so he could pull it off. The snap of her jeans opened and the zipper flew down, as if they were controlling themselves. She laughed. "Nice trick."

"You haven't seen anything yet." He buried his face in her neck and bit down. She gasped and raked her nails down his arms. She began to pull his sweater over his head; he reached down to help and divested himself of his shirt as well. She took a moment to admire the hard planes of his chest. The clasps of her bra unhooked and it went flying across the room. She almost laughed but the sound turned into a moan as Erik's hands covered her large breasts. He pinches her nipples and squeezes the mounds of flesh. And her hands run up his chest but she can't truly commit to the task because all she can think about is how good Erik's callused hands feel against her skin and how she never wants him to stop.

His lips press against hers and her hands find his hair. And she thinks for just a moment that she may be in love with him. He moves down her body and peals her underwear down her legs. She feels exposed; he is still wearing his pants. He presses a kiss to her hipbones and then dives between her legs. She can hear his thoughts in her mind, Erik had always been a loud thinker, and she is overjoyed to find that they are focused on her.

And then she can't do anything but moan because his tongue is inside her and his thumb is rubbing at her clit. She can feel him grin when she moans loudly and bucks her hips. He puts his arm against her lower stomach to hold her down. His fingers begin to piston into her, quickly and roughly. His tongue moves inside her and her inner muscles clench. She spasmed beneath him and her thighs clenched.

He lapped up the warmth between her legs. He was so damn hard and his pants were getting uncomfortably tight. He slid back up her body and pressed his lips against hers and grasped her hair and tugged. It turned him on so much when she yelped like that, half pain, half pleasure. "Pants off," she hissed into his ear. He slid the zipper down and she helped him push them down his legs. Her hands went between his legs, stroking. He groaned. He grabbed her hands and held them above her head.

He kept her wrists together with one hand and used the other to position himself at her entrance. He entered her slowly, savoring the warm wetness that greeted him. He groaned as the aftershocks of her orgasm made her inner muscles clench around him. His hands went to her breasts and pinched the nipples once before he began to move. He thrust slowly, carefully watching her face. Her eyes were half shut and her mouth was open, soft gasps left her lips. Her fingers dug into his back. He reached between them and rubbed her clit quickly. He watched as she orgasmed again, he pulled out and slammed into her again, causing another orgasm. Her hips bucked up into his. "Don't stop." Her legs wrapped around his waist and he continued to thrust into her. As she came again he felt himself going over the edge. Her inner muscles clenched him and he shot his seed deep inside her. She shuddered and he collapsed on top of her. He rolled over, pulling her body on top of his. He was still inside of her.

And then she sat up gasping. She held a hand to her warm face and took two deep breaths. A dream. The wetness between her legs made it feel so real but as she took inventory of her body she knew that no matter how real it had felt it had all been a dream. She groaned and rolled over to look at the clock. It was time to get up. She slowly pushed herself out of bed and trudged to the shower. She briefly thought about finishing what the dream had started but she wasn't sure how loudly an orgasm would project mentally. The last thing she wanted was Charles to know that she was masturbating to the idea of sex with Erik.

She dressed and scurried down to the kitchen. She suppressed a groan when she saw Erik sitting at the counter. He smiled at her as if he knew exactly what her dream had been. She nodded her head as a way of saying hello and crossed the room. She prepared herself a bowl of cereal and when she turned around she almost crashed into Erik's chest. He took a small step forward, trapping her between the refrigerator and his body.

"I was thinking about you last night." He muttered. "About that little pop kiss that happened after we talked."

"It was hardly a kiss," she muttered. She tried to move around him but he mirrored her movements, efficiently keeping her from getting away.

"I suppose one could argue that it was hardly a kiss but it made me curious." He took her cereal bowl from her and put it on the counter. He pushed a strand of hair away from her face. His hand moved to the back of her neck and held her very still. His eyes caught hers and she was caught between wanting to run and wanting to do exactly what he did in her dream. "I am curious about you in a brand new way, my little telepath."

And then his lips were on hers. It was not anything like the soft kiss she had shared with Charles. With Charles she knew how much he truly cared about her. Her kiss with Charles had been a physical sharing of all of the information they had traded during their time working together. She knew who Charles was, inside and out. But the kiss with Erik was raw. He plundered her mouth. He took everything from her. As she reached out to touch his mind all she could feel was lust.

He pulled away from her. "I went back to your room last night, to propose a new training plan and you were asleep. And moaning. What were you dreaming about little telepath?" She felt color rise in her face.

"Nothing."

His grip tightened on the back of her neck. "Don't lie to me."

She choked on a sob and he moved his hands to her wrists. "You. I was dreaming about you."

"What was I doing?" She shook her head. "Was I fucking you?" She dipped her head slightly, half a nod. "Were you wet when you woke up? Did you want my cock inside you?" She pressed her lips together and stayed silent. He shook her. "Tell me."

"Yes, I wanted your –" She was cut off by the noise of someone clearing their throat. Erik turned sharply. Hank stood in the doorway. Erik quickly moved across the room.

"Rae, I was wondering if you wanted to start with our experiment. Raven is in the med lab now."

She smiled at Hank. "Of course, I'll come with you." She scurried out of the room and followed Hank, distinctly aware of a set of steely eyes on her back.


End file.
